Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leader and Senator Craughwell for initiating the debate on homelessness, which we will have for two hours tomorrow evening with the Minister, Deputy Kelly. It is extremely important given the tragic death in the past 24 hours of a homeless man on the streets of Dublin. It happened very close to Leinster House. We should all extend sympathy to the man's family. It is shameful that somebody has died while living and sleeping on the streets of Dublin.

It is very easy to indulge in manufactured outrage but I do not think that is an appropriate response to this tragedy. A far more appropriate response is a practical programme of initiatives which will be taken to address the serious and urgent problem of homelessness in Dublin. I commend the Minister, Deputy Kelly, for announcing today that he will be convening a special forum on homelessness on Thursday this week. He has invited the CEOs of the four Dublin local authorities, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Cathaoirligh of South Dublin, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal county councils, as well as the non-governmental organisations working in the sector. The Minister has also invited the Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr. Diarmuid Martin, to meet with him on Thursday.

Recognising that all those stakeholders have a part to play in tackling homelessness, it should not be beyond the abilities of four Dublin councils to address in particular the urgent and pressing problems, with approximately 160 to 170 people sleeping rough on the streets of Dublin. A practical and quick response like that taken by the Minister, Deputy Kelly, is far more effective than the sort of hyperbole and manufactured outrage from those who actually stopped the social housing programme building and laid the seeds for the homelessness problem with which the Government is trying to deal today. I take issue with the dismissal by Senator MacSharry of the €3.8 billion social housing programme announced last week by the Minister, Deputy Kelly. It is an extremely ambitious programme-----